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Health Sciences Major

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Why Study Health Sciences?

The study of health sciences prepares students for careers in a broad range of occupations, including those in in-demand sectors such as healthcare, public health, and exercise science. Health care is one of the strongest sectors in the U.S. economy, with an aging population and COVID-19 survivors continuing to increase demand for healthcare and disease-prevention professionals. A degree in Health Sciences provides students with practical skills that can qualify them for entry-level positions in scientific and health-related occupations.

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Why Study Health Sciences at Eastern?

Health Sciences majors choose from concentrations in Public Health, Allied Health or Exercise and Sports Science. Students are educated through outstanding experiential learning, community service and research studies to address societal health needs for diverse populations. Our state-of-the-art laboratory equipment include a 3D Virtual Human Dissection Table; DNA Sequencer; imaging center with confocal microscope; gait analysis walkway; isokinetic system; body balance system; and emergency medical technology and paramedic equipment.

Students using dissection table
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Concentrations

  • Public Health is available as a concentration in the Health Science major. The program builds upon supporting courses in chemistry, mathematics, health, sociology and psychology. Students learn about public health issues, drinking water management, substance abuse, and health promotion and prevention as they prepare for careers in public health or entrance into graduate school.

    View Public Health Details

  • Students in the allied health concentration in the Health Sciences major take courses in microbiology, anatomy & physiology, and chemistry in preparation for a graduate school in occupational therapy, physical therapy, nursing, and physician assistant. They are also prepared to enter a variety of health- and science-related careers.

    View Allied Health Details

  • Exercise and Sport Science is devoted to study how exercise improves physical health and performance. This curriculum examines two broad themes: (a) how exercise promotes physical and mental health. Areas of study include exercise, physical fitness, and disease caused by sedentary lifestyles including cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders; (b) the scientific principles underlying exercise improve sports performance. Areas of study include the physiological basis of exercise, biomechanics, overtraining, specialization, musculoskeletal injuries, and the emotional health of athletes.

    View Exercise and Sport Science Concentration Details

Salary Potential

$57,800

Median salary, Medical Lab Technician

$85,570

Median salary, Occupational Therapist

$95,620

Median salary, Physical Therapist

* U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Hands-on Learning

Students looking at a dissection table

Undergraduate Research

Health Sciences majors use the latest technologies, including the only virtual dissection table in the Connecticut State University System.

Undergraduate Research
Members of the Pre-Health Society Club

Pre-Health Society Club

The Pre-Health Society student club offers Health Sciences majors the opportunity to learn more about their profession through guest lecturers, field trips, and other activities.

Pre-Health Society
Students holding children in Ghana

Study Abroad

Health Sciences students have traveled to Ghana to visit clinics, hospitals, schools, orphanages and public services as they learn about the country’s health care and public health systems.

Study Abroad

Career Options

Students who pursue undergraduate degrees in Health Science can have rewarding and successful careers in a variety of professional fields, including:

  • Medical technician
  • Health sciences technologist
  • Physician assistant
  • Occupational therapist
  • Physical therapist
  • Occupational health and safety specialist
  • Nursing
  • Medical interpreter
  • Emergency medical technician

(May require further graduate/professional studies)

Successful Alumni

Recent Eastern students who earned a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences are at the following companies and professional/graduate schools:

  • UConn Graduate School of Public Health
  • Physical Therapy Doctoral Program, University of Hartford
  • Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy, Sacred Heart University
  • Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, Western New England University
  • Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions
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For more information


healthscience@easternct.edu
(860) 465-5045 or (860) 465-5008

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Alumni Testimonials

Helena Delfino ’18
Health Sciences

Helena Delfino ’18

Helena traveled to Ghana for a global field course that gave insight into the health care system of a developing country. “We visited a local hospital and got the chance to watch a cesarean section as well as a natural birth. This experience solidified my dream of becoming a labor and delivery nurse.”

Precious Baker ’19
Public Health Technician

Precious Baker ’17

Health Sciences major Precious Baker is an emergency department technician at Windham Hospital after earning her master's degree in public health from UConn. “Eastern’s health sciences program taught me the foundations of public health and developed my writing and critical thinking skills.”

Rachel DiNatalie ’18
Master in Occupational Therapy

Rachel DiNatalie ’18

Health Sciences major Rachel DiNatalie is pursuing a master’s degree in occupational therapy at Sacred Heart University. “The opportunities I’ve had at Eastern have affirmed my decision to pursue a career in the healthcare industry and prepared me for graduate school to become an occupational therapist.”

Amanda Copeland '16
Health Sciences

Amanda Copeland '16

Amanda works for Hartford HealthCare, supporting and teaching the electronic health record (EHR) system to clinical staff and health care providers. “I was very involved in campus life at Eastern as a resident assistant, participated in a global field internship in Ghana, acted as a peer mentor for first-year students, served as co-president of the Pre-Health Society and volunteered my time through community service projects.”

Amanda Copeland
Professional Nurse

Amanda Copeland ’16

Amanda works for Hartford HealthCare, supporting and teaching the electronic health record (EHR) system to clinical staff and health care providers. “Eastern taught me so many life lessons and allowed me to see different perspectives that made me a compassionate nurse. I wouldn’t be the nurse I am today without attending Eastern.”

Emily Fulton
Backus Hospital

Emily Fulton ’20

Emily is a registered nurse in the Progressive Care Unit at Backus Hospital. She graduated in 2021 from UCONN’s accelerated B.S.N. program. “The classes I took at Eastern challenged me and gave me the tools needed to succeed in a fast- paced program.” As a health sciences major at Eastern, Fulton learned “about different aspects of the medical field until I found one that suited me the best.”

Harley Webley
Health Sciences

Harley Webley '21

A health science major with a concentration in allied health, Harley is attending Yale University’s School of Public Health. “We must examine how our systems foster inequity and dismantle policies and practices that create disparate health outcomes. I am pursuing a Master's in Public Health to learn the appropriate tools and skillset to develop and apply approaches that center equity in health systems and policies.”

Nancy Gonzalez
Pfizer

Nancy Gonzalez ’22

Health sciences major Nancy Gonzalez was named a fellow of the Pfizer Research and Development Rotation Program. During this paid, two-year fellowship, she is rotating among multiple research and development laboratories in pursuit of advancing the healthcare industry. “Eastern and its Health Sciences program allowed me to have many unique experiences through volunteering, internships, teaching assistantships and independent study opportunities.”

Brittney Cifarelli
Health Sciences

Brittney Cifarelli ’21

Brittney Cifarelli is in the Doctor of Nurse Practitioner (DNP) program at Boston College. “The health sciences and emergency medical technician classes at Eastern provided me an enormous amount of intelligence into the medical world.”

Chase Hubbard
Health Sciences

Chase Hubbard '21

Chase is in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Hartford. “Eastern’s Health Sciences program has provided me the foundation that I needed, not only in human anatomy and physiology, but also in the functions of healthcare. Eastern has helped me become a well-rounded student and prepared me to step into the widely competitive and professional health industry.”

Alejandro Tobon Corrales ’17
Physical Therapist

Alejandro Corrales ’17

Alejandro is a student physical therapist at Hartford Healthcare while pursuing a doctorate of physical therapy at the University of Hartford. “My experience with the health sciences program was exceptional. The well-organized curriculum allowed me to attain the knowledge to be accepted into my doctorate program.”

Yoryeli Castro
Health Sciences

Yoryeli Castro ’25

Yoryeli is a health sciences major with an allied sciences concentration, and a minor in medical interpretation in Spanish. “I want to be a physician assistant, specializing in dermatology. I love the idea of constantly learning and the field of medicine can offer me that. I also have a minor in medical interpretation in Spanish because I want to include more diversity and representation in the healthcare field.”

Jessica Moyher
Physical Therapy

Jessica Moyher '24

While pursuing a career in physical therapy, Jessica job shadowed in the In-Patient Rehabilitation Department at Windham Hospital. “The ability to work alongside healthcare professionals while also being a full-time student has proven to be not only intellectually stimulating but profoundly enriching. These experiences not only enhance my academic learning but shape me into a more well-rounded, empathetic, and resilient professional.”

Brendan Cullinane ’19
University of Delaware

Brendan Cullinane ’19

Brendan was accepted into the doctoral program in physical therapy at the University of Delaware, one of the nation’s leading programs. He conducted research with Professor Amy Bataille and was an officer of the Pre-Health Society. He also traveled to Ghana, West Africa, for an internship. “I am so grateful to have been able to go on this amazing trip and experience Ghanaian culture. It was a life-changing experience.”

Mariana Serrano '18
Infant/Early Childhood Specialist

Mariana Serrano '18

Health Science Major Mariana Serrano ’18 is a Senior Home Visiting Implementation Specialist with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, specializing in infant/early childhood home visitation. “The Health Sciences program has prepared me to work with a myriad of public health issues and provided me with the education and experience to support populations in need.”